The King House | Mayport’s Haunted House

Posted: 04.23.2025 | Updated: 04.23.2025

Standing proudly on the site of an old Spanish cemetery, King House in Mayport, FL, is a grand building with history dating back to the 1800s. It’s two stunning wraparound porches on each floor that speak to the home’s original opulence. With six bedrooms and two bathrooms, the King House has served as a family home, a boarding house for sailors, and a Catholic church.

With such a history, it’s no wonder the house may have spirits still lingering in its hallways. Known as the most haunted house in Northeastern Florida, spectral activity abounds in the King House. Even animals may be subject to experiencing otherworldly presences in this home! 

The King House is about an hour away from America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida. As the oldest city in America, St. Augustine has survived wars, disease, and pirates. Book a St. Augustine ghost tour with Old City Ghost Tours to learn more!

Why is the King House Haunted?

The King House has an array of resident ghosts that spook visitors on a regular basis. As a former boarding house, family home, and church, it has played host to several dead bodies, including the body of a woman murdered in her rocking chair. While not the only ghost visitors may see, she’s definitely the most famous ghost in the King House. 

History of the King House

It’s unclear when the property on which the King House is built was constructed, but the first record of it appeared in 1881. But even historians disagree on its origin. Some say William Joseph King built it for his wife, Clara “Polly” Arnau, in 1880. Others say it burned to the ground in 1881. Still others say it was a boarding house for sailors that burned to the ground in 1885. 

What we do know is that Captain Joe King built the new structure, the King House, in 1913 or 1914. It was a beautiful, massive, two-story white house at the time. With two grandiose wraparound porches, the house was absolutely extravagant for its time. 

Each of the porches was 1,040 square feet. Inside, the living space totalled 1,312 square feet. In its initial conception, the King House had seven bedrooms. There were no bathrooms or electricity, which was added later. 

In 1917, fire destroyed most of the village of Mayport. However, at just four years old, the King House survived. 

The Ghost Stories Begin

William Joseph King and his wife Clara had three children: Joseph Roland King, Sr., John Franklin King, and Clara Mae King. All three children lived in both the new house and the older, smaller house on the property.

John King lived primarily in the new house. He began the tradition of telling ghost stories in the King House. He’d charge five dollars to tell the ghost stories to teens in town. These ghost stories were rooted in the history of the home.

One account of a teenager who visited John King’s house paints him as an excellent storyteller and captivating entertainer.

He told the teens,

“Now, some say the old Captain chose a bad spot to build on. Some say the land was cursed because it was a Spanish cemetery during the time the Spanish Priests were building Missions and spreading their religion to the Indians. Many were wiped out by the Indians, and those poor souls were buried right here under these floorboards…They say that’s what opened a…what did the professor call it… a vortex, a link between the present and the past, between the living and the dead.”

John King would then proceed to tell the teens tales of the dead who had not yet found their resting place—and why they may still be lingering. Let’s dive into the alleged hauntings of the King House.

The Hauntings at the King House

The King House seems to be a magnet for spiritual energies. It has multiple ghosts whose apparitions have repeatedly appeared to visitors.

One of the presences seen at the house is the ghost of a bride who was killed in a car crash near the house on her wedding day. All in all, the spirit appears to have settled there. John King and visitors experienced her presence most often in the kitchen. There, she can be seen cleaning or doing other household activities.

Another ghost frequently seen at the King House is the “Little Butler.” He is a little boy who reportedly opens doors for guests.

Even animals appear to be involved in the spectral sightings. The current house owners have a bird who keeps calling for “Howard,” even when no one is in the room. This may be a call for Howard King, who died at the home.

The Ghost of Aunt Margarita

The most famous ghost at the King House is William Joseph King’s murdered aunt, Aunt Margarita. This is a story of unrequited love, heartbreak, and tragedy.

Back when the house had been a boarding house for sailors, John King’s Great Aunt Margarita Maria Andreu ran the boarding house. She was a beautiful woman who had lost her husband in a storm at sea. 

One of the captains who had stayed at the boarding house developed a bit of a crush on Margarita. He wanted to ask Margarita to marry him. On the night he intended to propose, he saw Margarita in the arms of another man.

However, Margarita had no idea what his feelings were for, and she was actually in love with another man. As the young captain watched from afar, the couple kissed.

This severely angered the young captain, who proceeded to find an open shed with tools in it. 

After grabbing a pitchfork, he headed back up to the house, intending to murder his rival. But his rival had already left, leaving Margarita alone in the parlor, smiling happily to herself in her rocking chair.

Absolutely enraged, the captain decided that no one could have Margarita if he couldn’t have her. He took the four-pronged pitchfork and stabbed her in the rocking chair, killing her.

Then, legend has it, the captain took a boat to the center of the river and threw himself in. His body was found washed up on the shore several days later.

According to John King, you can still see the marks from the pitchfork on the chair, as well as his Great Aunt Margarita’s blood trailing down the chair legs. Some even say the chair will rock by itself from time to time.

Haunted St. Augustine

While multiple spirits roam the halls of the King House, they’re not the only spirits you can find in haunted Florida. Just an hour away, the country’s oldest city is calling to you…or are the spirits doing the calling?

Either way, lovers of dark and twisty tales will be completely satisfied after taking a St. Augustine ghost tour of the Old City. On the tour, you’ll get to experience the history and shocking stories of real-life hauntings. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, Old City Ghost Tours has the spook you need! 

And, if you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for more ghost stories, don’t worry! We’ve got plenty of ghostly content for you. Check out our blog for more Floridian horrors, or pop on over to our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more general ghost business. 

Sources:

• https://pbase.com/waggonerphotos/image/113421146
• https://www.academia.edu/11573456/Mayports_King_House_Haunted
• https://www.booksie.com/645418-my-true-adventure-at-the-king-house-1968
• https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2013/02/16/spooky-tales-mayports-king-house-known-far-wide/15837950007/
• https://occult-world.com/king-house-mayport/
• https://news.wjct.org/first-coast/2021-09-20/believe-in-ghosts-here-are-the-haunted-places-around-jacksonville